How labor is divided may impact the risk of divorce

On behalf of The Law Offices of Ronda A. Middleton posted in divorce on Thursday, August 4, 2016.

Californians are often interested in what leads to divorce. One of the most common factors that can result in divorce is an unequal division of labor. Whether or not a man works full time outside of the home is also an important predictor of whether a marriage will end.

According to a researcher from Harvard University, a couple's economic condition does not impact their risk of divorce. The researcher also found that a woman's ability to support herself is not related to divorce risk either. In the study, the sociology professor analyzed data from 6,300 opposite-sex married couples.

The researcher found that couples who were married before 1975 had a greater risk of divorce when the wives performed fewer household chores. For couples married after that year, the divorce risk went up when chores were not divided more equally between the spouses. Men who did not work full time outside of the home were likelier to get divorced than men who were the family breadwinners. In other words, men were expected to meet traditional roles while whether or not the women worked outside of the home had no impact on divorce risk.

When people decide to get divorced, they will need to deal with a number of different issues. The particular issues with which a couple might have to contend will depend on their individual marriage. Divorcing spouses will have to agree on property division as well as any possible spousal and child support issues. In some cases, a person may want to relocate with the children. Whatever the particular issues might be, a person may want to get advice from a family law attorney. A lawyer may be able to negotiate an agreement even if the divorce involves a significant amount of emotional conflict. Working out an agreement may save people thousands of dollars in litigation costs.

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